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Higher economic output as measured in gross national product (GNP) may not always imply a higher quality of living. It has been the outcome of the long debate between growth and development of a nation. The aims of economic growth should be reconsidered because it has polluted the environment, wasted natural resources, harmed people’s quality of life, and failed to alleviate socioeconomic problems. It is also a common phenomenon to the economies of the South Asian region. The study is thus conducted to show the existence of long-run relationship and short-run interplays between output efficiency of energy use (GEU) and carbon efficiency of energy use (CEU) in the panel of countries in the South Asian region for the period of 1971–2014. The results show that there is a long-run and short-run association between energy efficiency in output and carbon emission as respectively measured in GEU and CEU. This means that in South Asia, energy consumption leads to an increase in both gross domestic product and carbon emissions. When GEU is used as the independent variable in vector error correction model (VECM), the result reveals that any short-run disequilibrium from the long-run stable connection will be adjusted over time, and the long-run stable relationship will be restored.

Sustainable atmospheric management today involves a complex set of issues arising from the deliberate or inadvertent use of the atmosphere as a repository for waste products arising from human activities. Urban pollution affects human health, building materials and vegetation. Acidic emissions and excess nutrients produce both acid rain and dry deposition that affect terrestrial, freshwater and ocean chemistry and ecosystems. The production and effects of atmospheric pollution can transcend national boundaries and thus mitigation will require cooperation on regional and global levels, as well as local action. Global pollution includes greenhouse gases and atmospheric particles which are changing the global climate and affecting human health. While technological solutions will play an important part, the large reductions in emissions necessary to achieve sustainability will involve adopting lifestyles that conserve energy and minimise pollution. These concerns were foreshadowed in the writings of Fritz Schumacher.

This study investigates how organizations in Brazil address sustainability concerns through collaborative governance efforts with strategic stakeholders. Organizations from New Zealand were considered as benchmarks for comparison.

This study is based on a qualitative exploratory research, supported by semistructured interviews. Ten organizations are interviewed, five from each country. Thematic analysis is used to analyze the interview data. Central management practices adopted by organizations are presented, and the goals, benefits, and limitations associated with collaborative initiatives are investigated.

The findings reveal that organizations in Brazil and in New Zealand are employing similar management and sustainability practices. Companies in both countries observe that collaborative efforts with strategic stakeholders improve their ability to meet market demands and jointly develop innovative solutions toward sustainability goals while exchanging knowledge and enhancing their operational effectiveness. Organizations perceive a number of tangible and nontangible value creation outcomes from sustainability practices, such as brand and reputational gains, improved supply chain management, and risk management attainments. The results also present limitations, such as internal limitations of organizations concerning how their executives and general staff incorporate sustainability issues into their organizations’ strategic planning and operational decisions.

Market pressures toward greener and more responsible operations equally affected organizations in both countries, without differentiation in operation between an emerging country such as Brazil and a developed country such as New Zealand. Directions for future research are presented. These are based on how organizations measure sustainability outcomes of management practices and collaborative alliances, and how organizations map upcoming market demands and opportunities to deliver more value to society as the sustainable development debate continues to evolve.

Production-related industrial zones, super structures and infrastructures are constructed by the construction industry. Nearly all industries and their environmental emissions are influenced by the construction industry including its sub-industries, companies and their supply chains. Furthermore, cities play an important role in economic growth. Cities are hubs for productivity, production, supply and demand, and innovation with the help of their human capital and built environment (e.g. offices, factories, industrial zones, infrastructures, etc.).

Industrial growth fosters urbanisation which is vital for the supply side in the economy to reach to the human resources. Urbanisation which supports industrial growth obstacles industries’ efficiency due to urbanisation problems (e.g. traffic, air and water pollution, health problems).

Construction industry and its sub-industries affect total factor productivity growth in nearly all industries. Construction industry can be a facilitator industry for economic growth and industrial growth considering total factor productivity growth and environment aspects. All industries’ green and sustainable total factor productivity growth can be supported by rethinking construction industry, its sub-industries and their outputs (e.g. construction materials, built environment, cities) as well as construction project management processes.

This chapter aims to introduce carbon capturing smart construction industry model to foster green and sustainable total factor productivity growth of industries. This chapter emphasises current and potential roles of construction industry, its sub-industries and their outputs in fostering other industries’ growth through green and sustainable total factor productivity growth. It focusses on carbon capturing technologies and design at different levels. Furthermore, this chapter emphasises cities’ role in green and sustainable total factor productivity growth. This chapter provides recommendations for construction industry policies and carbon capturing cities/built environment model to solve urbanisation problems and to foster industrial growth and green and sustainable total factor productivity growth. This chapter is expected to be useful to all stakeholders of the construction industry, policy makers, and researchers in the relevant field.

Purpose – In this study, the possibility of the application of rice husks for adsorbing Mn(II) ion in the water phase has been studied.

Design/Methodology/Approach – Experimental studies have been initiated by preparing activated carbon from rice husks. The activation of rice husks was done using both physical and chemical treatment methods through heating at 110 °C and washing with citric acid activator at 0.2 M, 0.4 M, and 0.6 M. The adsorption tests were conducted as two part tests: preliminary and primary. The preliminary test was conducted to choose the best condition of four independent variables, i.e., contact time (0–120 minutes), activator concentrations (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 M), initial Mn(II) concentrations (10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/L), and adsorption temperatures (30, 47, and 67 °C).

Findings – By identifying the substituted groups using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy after activation with citric acid, it was found that the highest transmittance percentage was present in activated carbon with 0.2 M of citric acid. The best adsorption capacity and efficiency was 13.87 mg/g and 79.60%, respectively, which were obtained at 200 mg/L initial concentration with a 0.2 M citric acid concentration for 120 min contact time at 47 °C. These results lead to a conclusion that rice husks after activation with citric acid can be applied as an adsorbent for Mn(II) adsorption in the water phase.

Research Limitations/Implications – The activated carbon produced was only applicable for the adsorption of Mn(II) ions from the water phase, but not applicable for the adsorption of other heavy metals ions.

Practical Implications – Rice husks were potentially prepared as an adsorbent for Mn(II) ion adsorption in the water phase that was low cost, environmental friendly, and easy to prepare.

Originality/Value – Activated carbon prepared from biomass was mostly carried out using acids at high concentrations while the study was conducted using weak acids (citric acid) at low concentrations.

The chapter explores the corporate risks and opportunities in low carbon economy in order to provide references for business to tackle the global warming issue. It first discusses severe consequence of climate change and points out that the low carbon economy is to mitigate climate change. Then different perspectives of low carbon economy and similar connotations are introduced. It is found that companies are driven to practise environmental responsibility by various risks. In particular, these risks come from international policies, investors, national regulations, customers, peers, sub-sectors, and supply chains. Finally, the opportunities and benefits of low carbon responsibility are illustrated. The research shows that if the enterprises actively take low carbon responsibility, they will get the opportunities to develop corporate capabilities, benefits of early movement and advantages of brand effect.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007) of 2007 concluded that most of the warming of the climate is very likely driven by human activities that increase greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere. Activities such as burning of fossil fuels for power generation and in vehicles, as well as increasing deforestation, result in emissions of four long-lived GHGs: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and halocarbons (a group of gases containing fluorine, chlorine, or bromine). The report projects that by the end of the 21st century global temperatures could rise by 1.1–6.4°C over 1990 levels, while global mean sea levels could rise by 18–59cm, depending on future scenarios of varying global emission levels. This is likely to adversely impact ecosystem resilience, putting many plant and animal species at the risk of extinction. Sea level rise and coastal erosion coupled with temperature extremes, heat waves, and heavy precipitation events that are projected to become more frequent will affect the health and well-being of millions of people around the world.